Sleep Peacefully
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Troubles lead to fear. Fear leads to paranoia. Paranoia leads to uncertainty... Puggsy and Brielle learn this as both have trouble sleeping. Can they help each other overcome these feelings? *Follows the AU story*
1. Guilt

Well, it's been a while. Who's up for another PugsxBrie story?

This one is based off a nightmare I had a few nights ago, and relates to my AU story (*Spoilers are at hand!*) Otherwise... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I only own Brielle.

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Brielle opened her eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she was in the hospital.

The second thing she noticed were the bandages around her neck.

_What... what happened? _she wondered, as her mind struggled to recall what had happened hours before.

A nurse entered the room. "Miss? What... how did I get here?" she asked.

"Some teens brought you and another boy in. They said this horrible man, Vincent Fondane, attacked you both." the nurse answered.

_Vincent!_

Her memory became clear, now- Vincent Fondane, her 'self-defense' teacher, had called her up to help him take down a group of troublemakers... What he didn't mention was the fact that their targets were actually good kids, and one of them was Kasandra Bickerson... her cousin. Once she found out about Vincent attacking her relatives and targetting the gang of kids known as the Fangface Gang, she had tried to turn the tables on him, lure him away...

But everything went wrong. Keith, Vincent's other accomplice, was lying in wait, ambushing her and Puggsy, then Vincent slit her throat, everything going black...

Wait... Puggsy!

"What happened to Puggsy? T-The boy who was brought in with me?" Brielle asked the nurse.

The nurse paused. A bad sign.

"He's... He's still in surgery. Now, please try to get some rest," the woman replied.

She wasn't telling Brielle anything, and the worried tone in her voice made her all the more anxious. "Ma'am, please... tell me how he's doing. Is he going to make it?"

The nurse bit her bottom lip. "I don't think I should..."

"You don't think a girlfriend needs to know if her boyfriend is going to be alright?!"

It was a lie, as Brielle had only known Puggsy for barely 24 hours... but the nurse seemed to buy it. "He was shot directly in the heart... I'm sorry... The doctors said they're doing everything they can, but..."

Brielle nodded, a solemn look on her face. "I... I understand. ...Is it alright for me to use the phone? I need to make a couple calls,"

The nurse nodded. "I suppose... But the doctor recommended you not leave until a family member has checked you out,"

_Figures. _Brielle thought, considering she had lost contact with all her family 4 years ago...

Except for one member.

There was a phone in the room, and she dialed a number. "Edwin? ...It's me, Brielle, we met in London a while back. How are you? ...I can't really say the same, which is why I'm calling. You're an expert when it comes to hearts, right?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Thankfully, Edwin happened to be in America that week, having been on his way to New York when Brielle called. Donning a disguise, he entered the surgery room under the alias "Doctor Smith", giving the story that he came recommended to assist with the surgery.

Brielle sat in her room, anxiously. So far, it had been 2 days, and her friend was still in the operating room... Sleep wasn't a big issue for him. After all, he was a vampire.

A hand held hers to keep her calm, and she looked up at the second person she had called. Matthew- her twin brother. Though, no one would believe them to be 'twin' siblings, as Brielle had been sick at birth and was rendered short for her age, whereas Matthew was tall and well-built. The only thing they had in common was their blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Thank you for coming," Brielle whispered.

"The moment you mentioned Vincent, I didn't hesitate." Matthew replied. What no one knew was that he was an undercover agent, out to hunt down madmen like Vincent, the werewolf-hunter at the top of the list. "Brielle... why didn't you tell me about him sooner?"

"I-I didn't know he was a werewolf hunter! He only taught me self-defense, and claimed I would make a fine partner for whenever he had to fight someone... then he called me, claiming he needed my help... Ugh, I'm such an idiot!"

Matthew patted her on the back. "It's alright... I should have warned you, but... you know I'm not allowed to bring up information like that to anyone, unless they're involved, and I didn't know you were involved until now."

Brielle sighed. Matthew had run away when he was 13, a year before Brielle had run away, both of them having met by chance a while later. Matthew had given her his number, and told her about the Thorns- a group of people he worked with- and how she should only contact him in emergencies.

Matthew had wished they could have recruited his sister... especially now.

But right now, their connection wasn't the focus. Right now, they were focused on the situation at hand- figuring out how to catch Vincent. "Since you've had contact with him, you can draw him out. I'll call up the agency, and they can send someone to meet up with you,"

"Why can't you help me?" Brielle asked, even though she didn't want her brother to 'fight her fights'.

"There's more I have to do. I have to find this other assassin, 'Dark Crow'."

"What about the others?"

Matthew sighed. "I can't really say anything to them... It would be best if we handled Vincent ourselves, before they got further involved. The last thing we need is Vincent and his accomplice taking any more lives,"

"But... if they knew..."

"I can't tell them, Brielle! I know they're involved, but... *sigh* I'll have to talk to Kite about it, but right now we really have to lay low."

Brielle wanted to argue against this... but before she could say anything, the door opened, and in walked a black-haired, pale-skinned young man with sharp blue eyes and glasses- their friend, Edwin. She stood up, walking over to him... his expression was solemn. "Edwin...?" she asked.

The vampire sighed. "I did all I could do, Brielle... it's in God's hands now," he told her. "They've placed him in another room now. ...I suggest, you two get a move on. Matt, you can't blow your cover, and Brielle... I think you should talk to your cousin."

Brielle shook her head. "I can't... it's best if I don't speak to them. I've already caused them enough grief,"

"In that case, pack your things, we'll be leaving tonight." Matthew replied.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Before leaving, Brielle asked them if she could see Puggsy one more time. Edwin- still disguised as a doctor- managed to help her get permission.

She walked into the room with a videocamera, planning on leaving behind a video of her confession. If she was going to make things up to the gang and go after Vincent, and if anything were to happen...

*beep... beep... beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep...*

She froze, looking at the heart-monitor as it flat-lined...

_No... no no no no no! _was all she could think as she raced over, shaking his shoulder. "Puggsy? ...Puggsy! Please, no!" she cried, tears running down her face.

A couple nurses raced into the room, as well as Matthew, the latter holding his sister back. Edwin appeared in the room just as quick as a nurse called for a doctor, and he checked the teen over...

Silence followed, as the vampire looked over. "His heart... it just gave up." he said.

Tears flooded in Brielle's eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably. Matthew held her close, at first wondering why his sister was crying over someone she barely knew...

Until he remembered that, because of her, Puggsy had died.

0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Two Weeks Later..._

They had left the hospital while the nurses were in the room, Matthew claiming he was going to take his sister outside and away from the scene.

She checked into a hotel, Matthew telling her Kite would be meeting her on the bridge at noon that day.

As she stood there, waiting for Kite to arrive, all she could think about was Puggsy, remembering the day they spent together. Even if it were part of her act, she still had fun with him, learning what a good guy he really was, even though he had his cynical moments... which lead to a fight amongst his friends, she remembered.

And now... he wouldn't have the chance to make it up to them.

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing the more she thought about him...

She didn't notice Keith walking over, pulling out a gun...

There was a gunshot... a pain in the back of her head... then blackness...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Brielle gave a jolt, sitting up in bed, her heart racing. _Just... just another nightmare... _she thought, wincing.

It had been a week since she first started travelling with the gang, the ordeal of the past over with... yet she still had nightmares about what could have happened, if Puggsy's heart just gave out. One nightmare included Puggsy dying after jumping off the bridge, and Fangface strangling Brielle to death for getting his best friend killed. Another included both of them locked inside a crate, and the teen dying right before her eyes, his last words filled with blame towards her...

She was sharing a room with Biff and Kim. The gang had left San Francisco the minute Brielle and Puggsy checked out of the hospital, and were on their way to Florida, having stopped at a hotel for the night, only able to get two rooms. Only trouble was, Brielle couldn't sleep.

She stood up, walking out onto the balcony to clear her head, wondering when the nightmares would stop.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: ...Did I mention this was going to be a 3-parter? XD


	2. Alone

Now for the second half of this three-shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own any original Fangface characters, except my OC.

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Everything happened so fast. One minute, Vincent at his gun aimed at him...

Then Brielle shouted his name, running forth, the gun turning on her...

Puggsy could only watch, wide-eyed, as Brielle fell to the ground, blood leaking out her chest.

For a moment, all he could see was red, his vision nearly blurred... he remembered tackling Vincent, the hunter having run out of bullets... and the teen came close to stabbing him in the face, if Fangs hadn't stopped him.

Then he remembered Brielle, leaving the hunter behind as he rushed to her aid... she was fading fast, and all he could do was hold her close, begging her to stay strong...

There was a pain in his heart, and everything faded to black. He forgot about his condition- if he were to undergo too much shock, he would die.

When he came to, hours later, he wished he had.

He was back in the hospital. In the room with him was that stranger from before- Edwin Smith, Brielle's friend who had fixed his heart. Last time, he had been smiling... but not today.

Puggsy looked around the room- they were the only ones in there. There was a bed next to him, currently vacant.

"I'm sorry,"

He looked up at Edwin, who had spoke. "Sorry for what?" he asked. "What happened?"

Edwin winced. "You managed to pull through alright, but... but she wasn't so lucky," he sat something on the nightstand... two bullets. "I guess... out of the both of you... she was the only one who couldn't fight the bullet. I tried to do everything I could, but she had lost so much blood... maybe, if she wasn't so small, or if her heart was a little more stronger... *sigh*"

Puggsy's eyes widened. "No... not Brielle... please!" he grabbed the vampire by the arm. "Please tell me she's alright! This... this can't be... she was..."

Edwin rested a hand on his shoulder. "She was a wonderful girl... more incredible than anyone would believe." he bowed his head. "Maybe if people saw it more..."

Puggsy didn't listen. His hands were shaking, and tears flooded to his eyes. He shut them, covering his face... though all he could remember was the vision he had, where he and Brielle were close, surrounded by white... yet suddenly she was pulled away from him.

Just like she had been now.

He uncovered his face, only to notice Edwin was gone. Maybe he just believed the teen needed to be alone...

Alone.

The word caused more pain to his heart than before.

At the start of this whole trip, he came to realize something. Biff had Kim. Fangs had Kassy. Samantha had Martin... but he had no one. At first, he didn't care about a relationship, but that was before he began to think about the future, about his friends moving on with their lovers...

About him and Brielle.

He clutched his chest, sobbing. He didn't think about it, considering they had only known each other a few days, but Brielle was the only kind of girl he could see himself dating. She was fun, she was smart, she was tough... nothing like the girls he had been with before, who either dumped him, cheated him, or shunned him. Being with her... he felt he could actually understand romance, for once.

But such an idea would never be explored, because she was gone...

Suddenly he froze, feeling his heart stop. Slowly, he lied down, staring at a white light above his head.

It was as if he actually died of heartbreak.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Ugh... another damn nightmare. _Puggsy thought as he awoke.

It wasn't the first time he had that nightmare, and he had more like it. Ever since he and Brielle got out of the hospital and decided to try their knack at a relationship, he had been having dark visions, primarily of their ordeal having an alternate conclusion. Sometimes it included Brielle dying immediately after getting her throat slit; Or him arriving too late at the bridge and Keith killing Brielle, or not even knowing they were at the bridge until he found her body in the water.

But the one that always occured was the night when they encountered Vincent for the last time- Brielle had gotten shot, and Puggsy held her tight... but in the nightmare, she didn't make it, and his heart stopped beating from despair.

He sat up in bed, looking over at Fangface and Hunter. The hotel had been booked, leaving only two rooms vacant for the gang. They had tried to agree on who should room with who, whether all the guys should take one room and the girls take the other... But, as he figured, the two werewolves refused to be apart, especially after their experience; and he knew Biff wouldn't leave Kim's side, the two friends inseparable (Puggsy still believing they were an item, despite Kim denied it).

He and Brielle would have shared a room with one of the two as well, as both rooms included two beds each...

If they weren't so nervous about it.

Of course, to him, it was understandable. Brielle, as far as he knew, had never been in a relationship- she had ran away from home, occupied with keeping hidden from her parents, trying to live her own life after being smothered by her mother's strict protection, and possibly had no idea how dating worked in real life.

He was the opposite- he had dated up to six different girls in his entire life... but, never went steady with any of them. The first two girls claimed he was too much of a jerk, or just too tough for their tastes and wanted someone more sensitive; another girl dated him just to get close to Biff, calling off the false-relationship the moment she noticed how close he was to Kim; one girl in high-school asked him out, but only stood him up just to give her friends a good laugh; another girl was too pushy, claiming he needed to change- mostly in appearance- if he wanted to have a serious relationship; and another girl only wanted him for his body, a total slut she was... When he established he was abstinent, she went for another guy.

The only girls who didn't blow him off were Kim and Fangs' sister, Samantha... but they were only friends. Though he found them to be attractive, smart, and the toughest girls he ever met, something inside told him they weren't the ones- for one thing, Samantha was his best friend's sister, and he didn't want to cause any awkwardness, not to mention they hardly got along- especially when she turned into her werewolf-half, Storm. As for Kim, he could picture a relationship with her... but he hardly interacted with her, since she and Biff were so close. There was a time, after they first met, that he felt a spark between them... but it vanished as quickly as it came. Plus, deep down, he believed Kim deserved better.

After making the decision to stay single, he barely thought about being in a relationship with 'the perfect girl'... in fact, he rarely thought about meeting one, up until Fangs met Kasandra and they grew close as a couple. And once he started to realize he was the fifth wheel, he soon came to the conclusion that he lacked experience in the romance field- particularly because he couldn't stand the idea, after seeing too many movies, hearing too many songs, or hearing about books that involved too much of it. To him, the world focused too much on romance and 'finding a soul mate' and emphasising so much mush, some if it turning to smut over the years.

But, that was before he met Brielle, and now he had a different perspective. For some reason, it all felt ironic- neither of them could stand romance, and yet they were willing to give it a try with one another.

But, after a couple days, he wondered just exactly how far they could go. Okay, he knew they would have to wait for marriage before taking 'that' step, and they would have to wait at least a year or more before marriage... but what about the stuff before then? He wasn't exactly the romantic type...

So, yes, he was nervous as well, but couldn't show it around the others. He was the 'tough guy' in the group (outside of the werewolves, of course), and if they figured he couldn't handle dating... man, he would never hear the end of it! Not to mention, Brielle would probably give up on him...

_No, don't think that. _he told himself as these thoughts raced through his mind. _She won't give up on you... I can figure this out. We can figure it out. Just... calm down._

But how could he calm down? He had been hurt in the past, Brielle didn't know about dating... was their romance a lost cause?

Again, he scolded himself for negative thinking. Sick of pessimistic thoughts running through his head, the short teen got out of bed, pulling on a pair of jeans over his pajama pants as well as his shirt, and walking outside to clear his head.

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A/N: And there's part two. Part three will be where the fluff begins! *you have been warned*


	3. Peace

And now for the third and final part. It kind of includes a reference from my other story, "Love and Faith"... if anyone's read that story, you'll see what's coming up.

Disclaimer: Fangface (c) is owned by Ruby-Spears. Brielle (c) is owned by me. Kassy/Hunter (c) Tracker78

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was a cool night as Brielle stood on the balcony, looking up at the sky. It was 3 AM, and fatigue had yet to come to her.

So much fear ran through her mind, and it wasn't just the nightmares. They had taken out Vincent and Keith... but there were more Veni-Con-Yei hunters out there, possibly targetting them. Granted, the Thorn agency had their own members on guard everywhere, but that didn't help her calm down. It felt as if they were caught in the middle of a war now... a war where anyone could die at any second, anywhere.

Nearly losing Puggsy was enough to prove her of that.

And the nightmares just kept reminding her of how close it had came. If she were to make one mistake, it could cost him his life.

She gripped something in her hand- the bullet he had been shot with, a reminder of her mistakes... a reminder of the promise she made, to stick with him and make up for what she did. He had forgiven her, but it would be a while before she could forgive herself.

Something caught her eye down below. Someone was walking down the cement path that stretched behind the hotel...

It was Puggsy.

_What's he doing outside at this hour? _she wondered, watching as he sat down on a bench, looking up at the sky.

Their eyes met. She gave a small wave, and he nodded his head in return.

She walked back inside, pulling on her short-sleeved jacket and meeting him outside. "Insomnia?" she guessed.

"Nah, just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep." Puggsy answered. "What about you?"

"Same case."

He nodded, and stood up, both of them deciding to walk around until sleep could come to them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The path came to an end at a highway, and across the highway was a park. They walked through it until they came to the top of a hill, which gave a view of their hotel. They sat down under a tree, looking up at the sky.

Neither of them had said a word, instead listening to the silence. It was rare for either of them to find any solitude these days.

Yet, anxiety was starting to get to Puggsy. Was this how their relationship would be? Taking walks in complete silence? Sure, most couples would find a quiet, moon-light stroll to be quite romantic... but they would be holding hands and smiling. He and Brielle hadn't done anything like that.

He decided to break the silence and put such thoughts on hold. "So, what's keeping you up?" he asked her.

"Just a nightmare," she replied.

_Small world. _he thought. "What was it about?"

"Just... about what happened to us." she seemed hesitant in her response, as if the nightmare was more frightening than the experience itself. "What's keeping you up?"

"Unbelievably, the same reason." Hoping to help her open up a little more with her reasoning, he explained the dream- about how she didn't survive, and he collapsed from heart failure.

It seemed to work, as she explained her nightmare, which was the vice-versa- he died from heart failure, and she was shot dead. "Worst part is... it's not the first nightmare I had." she went on to explain. "I've been having them since we left the hospital, about all that could have happened... that your heart just stopped. I don't know what it could mean, but... it freaks me out."

He looked at her. Her tone was calm, though her voice rasped a bit near the end, and in her eyes he could tell she was trying to keep back tears. "I know how you feel... I've been having nighmares too, about the same thing... except... you die first." he said quietly.

She looked at him. "You're not making this up just to be sympathetic, are you?"

He shook his head. "I know what you're thinking... it's crazified we've both been having similar nightmares all week. I have no idea what it could mean..."

"What do you feel in the nightmares?"

"Huh?"

She looked up at the stars. "Edwin once said that the emotions in your dreams help make them more clear. ...In my nightmares, the center of my emotions is guilt... I know, I shouldn't blame myself, but... every time you die in the nightmare, that's all I could feel. ...So, what do you feel?"

He bit his bottom lip. He wasn't one to express feelings... but Brielle had opened up to him, so he felt it was fair he did the same. "Fear of... being alone." he admitted, awkwardly. She gave him a curious look, and he sighed. "When Fangs and Kassy started dating, and as close as Biff and Kim are, I had thought about the future, about how someday we would move on with our lives... and how they would probably be together, but I would be alone. When I met you... well, that fear went away. In my nightmares... it would come alive again every time you died."

She nodded. "I've been alone a majority of my life, so it doesn't scare me... just losing you does. Maybe our nightmares are just more subliminal messages to emphasise that."

Puggsy sighed. "I hate subliminal messages..."

They were quiet for a while longer, possibly pondering why both of them had to have nightmares all week just to show how much their lives mean to each other...

"Pugs... can I ask you something personal?" Brielle asked.

"How personal?" he replied.

"Depends how you take it... Are you Christian?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Yeah. I believe in God, if that's what you're wondering,"

She shifted a bit. "That's not all... You've accepted Christ as your savior, right?"

He blinked. "Why?"

"That's part of being a Christian. ...When I started travelling, I met a preacher at this Christian Rock concert. He asked me if I believed in God, and I said yes, and he asked me if I knew about Jesus as well. I told him I knew the story of Jesus, and he asked if I were Christian- I told him I already said I believed in God... but he explained being Christian was more than just believing, that by accepting Jesus in my heart, I would be free from death, able to go to a new life in Heaven, and that I was never be alone..."

She paused a moment, then sighed once more.

"I didn't give it much thought, until I realized how alone I felt, travelling on my own... So, I accepted Christ, and my fears lightened up." she looked at him. "You remember how you all were venting on me, about running after Vincent, how I could have gotten myself killed? ...I wasn't really scared, because death doesn't scare me anymore."

Puggsy looked at her, not knowing what to say. He remembered the night they encountered Vincent, when he noticed the werewolf hunter had a gun pointed at her throat... but she didn't look scared at all, and at first he believed she had some sort of motive up her sleeve. But now, as she told him this, he began to feel anxiety again, as he began to piece together how this conversation connected to their nightmares... her fears.

"Brielle... what exactly are you saying?" Puggsy asked.

"I think you know... but, I don't want to scare you, or pressure you." Brielle looked up at the stars. "I mean, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I just forced you into things? I'm just saying I don't fear death... the only thing that scares me about it is... if I never got to see you again." she shook her head. "But, like I said, I don't want to pressure you. I know you're a strong guy, and clever to get out of trouble, so I shouldn't be worried..."

He reached and held her hand, feeling it was shaking. "It's alright, Brielle... I don't feel pressured. I just... well, I never really thought about it until now. I had a few lucky breaks in the past... but... I know someday, my luck just might run out. ...And I don't want you to be scared, and I want to make sure we see each other again. ...Plus, I think my heart could use the strength. We're dealing with some sick people in an even sicker world, so..." he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I want to accept Him. Not just for your sake, not just for mine... but for peace."

Brielle winced, smiling a bit. "I'm happy to hear that. ...Um, so would you like to do it privately, or would you like me to be around?"

He scoffed. "'Course I want you around... Is there anything specified I need to do?"

"Just... pray to God, confess you're a sinner, and that you open your heart to Christ, to free you from sin and for Him to guide you... that's what I did, at least."

He nodded. "Okay."

He bowed his head, saying a quiet prayer.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They sat up on the hill for an hour afterwards... but this time, there was no anxietty, no fear... just relief. They had let out their feelings, and even accepted peace in a way Puggsy didn't really expect, and now they sat, staring up at the stars, often talking about their own travels, or funny situations just to kill the silence for a minute.

Yet Puggsy still felt nervous. The farthest they had gotten now was holding hands, and making conversation... he had never gotten this far with a girl before. Normally they called it off before the week was out, or never made a second date. He looked at Brielle, wondering how she felt now- was she still nervous, too?

There was a breeze, and he realized just how cold it was outside, the Fall air settling in around them. He scolded himself for forgetting his jacket- not really having planned on being outside too long, and forgetting about the weather when Brielle joined him.

Before he could suggest they go back inside, Brielle moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. By reflex, he draped his arm around her, feeling how cold she was as well, and he rubbed his hand up and down the upper-length of her arm to give her a little warmth. In response, she let out a soft sigh, wrapping one arm around his abdomen, her head now rested on his chest, her other arm wrapping behind his back. He smiled, folding his other arm over hers on his stomach, holding her close, resting his head on hers...

He had never been this close to a girl before, and he tensed a bit. They had been in a relationship for only a week, and already they were in a cuddle! Were they moving too fast? Should he move away, or say something? "Um... we should head inside," he said.

No response. He looked down, seeing that Brielle had fallen asleep... or was possibly faking. He shifted a bit, hoping it would wake her up or give her the message... but she only held him tighter.

_Great. I find a girlfriend, and she turns out to be a snuggler. _he thought. Sure, they had hugged at the hospital, and he had held her close the last time they encountered Vincent... but right now, everything was at a cease-fire. They weren't in a dangerous situation, or overcoming a near-death experience- they were just sitting on top of a hill, relaxing.

Maybe this was her way of relaxing... Nothing had really been easy for Brielle, he recalled- being on her own, going through an ordeal, suffering from 'what if?' nightmares, having had to deal with a mother who saw little quality in her... And since he had no idea how much she knew about dating, perhaps falling asleep in his arms was just one romantic-step she wanted to try.

_You might as well relax, too. _he told himself. _You're just hugging her, it's nothing serious... Plus, it might keep the nightmares away._

Puggsy sighed, easing down a bit, gently holding her closer and resting his head on top of hers once more. Despite the coldness of the air, he began to drift to sleep himself, slouching a bit while folding one arm around his head, while the other held on to Brielle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Fangface was the first to wake up. It was 6 AM... and normally the werewolf wouldn't be up so early, yet he sensed something wasn't right. His instincts proved right as he looked over, seeing Puggsy wasn't in his bed, the clothes he had left on the floor were gone, and the room-key he left on the nightstand was missing.

"Hunter, wake up," he whispered, waking his beloved.

"Mmf... Fangsy, what is it? It's six in the morning..." Hunter said groggily, looking at the clock on the nightstand.

"Puggsy isn't here, and his room key is missing."

"He probably went out to get breakfast or something..."

"*grr* Puggsy wouldn't be up this early, he always sleeps in!"

As Hunter's mind slowly awakened, she realized he had a point. She sat up, noticing there was no sign of their friend, anywhere. "Maybe Biff and Kim know where he's at," she said.

They went through the door that connected their rooms, only to see Brielle was gone too. Putting two-and-two together, they slipped out, looking around to see where their two friends went off to. Sure, it was normal for the couple to walk off by themselves... but before sunrise? Considering the kinds of friends they had, they felt something was up.

They stepped outside, sniffing around and finding a trace of them, following it to a park, and up a hill...

Hunter was the first to stop, grabbing Fangface's arm and pointing over.

Under a tree were their friends, fast asleep with their arms around each other. "Ooh, ooh, how'd they end up way out here?" Fangface asked.

"I don't know... but I think everything is okay," Hunter replied, a bit relieved... and even having a fuzzy-feeling inside at such a sight. "C'mon, lets head back to the hotel,"

"Shouldn't we wake 'em?"

Hunter looked at him, smiling. "If you and I were snuggled under the stars, would you want someone to interrupt?"

Fangface pondered this. "Good point. Of course..." he draped his arm around her. "There's no harm in the two of us sitting and waiting for them to wake up, while we watch the sunrise, *grr*"

"Aww, hon, you know what I like, don't you?" Hunter gave him a kiss on the lips, and they sat on the hill, looking up at the still-dark sky, the sun still beneath the horizon.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Brielle stirred, realizing she had fallen asleep, seeing her head rested on Puggsy's shoulder. "Hmm...?" she murmured, groggily looking around.

She felt his arm around her, his hand caressing her arm. "Have a nice nap?" he whispered, drowsily.

"Yeah... didn't know I dosed off..." she stretched a bit. "Should we head back to the hotel?"

"Sure... just give me a few minutes to wake up..." he yawned, making himself more comfortable against the tree.

As he did, Brielle lied her head back down on his chest, wrapping her arms around him once more, making herself comfortable as well, drifting back to sleep.

Puggsy smiled. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hunter and Fangface looking at them from down the hill, smiling... but he ignored them, not wanting to let them ruin the moment. As long as they were quiet and not harassing them, he didn't mind. Plus, the sun would be rising anyway, so he wouldn't have to worry about any werewolf-trouble for long.

The sun began to rise within minutes, though the air was still cold. He sat up a bit, wrapping his arms around Brielle and pulling her upright, then hooked one arm under the crook of her legs, the other still wrapped around her shoulders, and he stood up, carrying her back to the hotel, going down the other side of the hill so not to get heckled by Fangs or Kassy, even though he figured they would be too wrapped up in each other to care.

He entered the hotel, meeting Biff and Kim upstairs. "Hey, Puggsy... what's going on?" Biff asked, curiously.

"Brie and I had trouble sleeping last night, so we went for a walk. We're just now coming back in," he answered quietly. "Fangs and Kassy should still be outside, in the park. I'm going to lie Brie in bed,"

"Alright. We'll be checking out at 10:30, so you both can get some rest," Kim said with a smile, then opened up the door to their room for them.

"Thanks," Puggsy entered, closing the door behind him, lying Brielle down in her bed. He stretched a bit, deciding to head back to his room and get some sleep himself.

He took off his clothes, remembering he still had his pajamas on underneath, and lied down in his bed, shutting his eyes...

He wasn't asleep for five seconds when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked over, seeing Brielle. "Something wrong?" he asked, sitting up.

"Um... I-I had another nightmare," she replied, quietly. "Can... can I lay down with you, for a little bit?"

Puggsy blinked, not so sure. Cuddling with her under a tree was one thing... but the idea of being in bed caused the blood to rush to his face. _Don't be a pervert! You know neither of you are like that! _he snapped at himself. _But... what if the others were to walk in? ...Then again, they can't say anything, since they've shared beds before. It's no different than the times you had to share a bed with Fangs before Kassy came along- okay, that was a bad example. ...Dammit, my mind isn't working right..._

"Yeah, sure." he answered. For one thing, he didn't want to turn her down and hurt her feelings... another reason was that, after that last thought, having her around might help get his mind back in order.

Brielle crawled in next to him, slipping under the covers. Unlike before, she didn't lean close to him, and he figured she had her boundaries as well.

Yet he didn't really believe she had another nightmare, otherwise he would have felt her stir earlier. Maybe she just wanted to stay close to him.

Again, he could understand, and reached over and held her hand, caressing the top of it with his thumb. She smiled at him, her eyes closing as her grip gently tightened around his hand in response.

Minutes passed, as fatigue began to overcome Puggsy, and he shut his eyes, drifting to sleep once more...

Two minutes passed when he heard a moan, and he opened his eyes. "Brie...?" he whispered, feeling she was growing tense. Perhaps it was another nightmare. "Brielle, wake up," he reached over, shaking her shoulder.

The blanket felt cold and wet, causing him to sit up quick and turn on the light, and he saw the real reason she had been moaning- her neck was bleeding again, blood running down her abdomen, her eyes clenched shut.

He couldn't breathe- all he did was stare wide-eyed. "B-Brielle!" he stammered, making her sit-up. He grabbed the blankets, forcing them onto her neck to keep any more blood from spilling out. "Biff! Kim! Call 911!"

Her body was growing limp, her skin paling- the blankets were just absorbing the blood. So much, that it was beginning to spill over his hands. Her blood on his hands.

He began to panic, looking around- where were the others? "Guys! Someone get in here, damn it!"

"Pugs..." Brielle rasped.

He held her close. "Stay with me- it's going to be alright! We'll get help!"

"Pugs..." her body then grew stiff. Her eyes didn't open.

"No... Brielle, no!" tears were running down his face. He looked up at the doors once more. "Guys... Help... HELP!"

Suddenly, everything began to fade. Maybe he was having another heart-attack. Maybe he was going to die too. The room grew dark, yet he still hung on to Brielle, listening as she quietly said his name, over and over.

"Pugs... Pugs... wake up!"

He gasped, opening his eyes. He sighed with relief, realizing it was just another nightmare.

"Pugs...?" came Brielle's voice once more, sounding more clear... and confused, it seemed.

The next thing Puggsy noticed was that he was holding on to Brielle, tightly. He gasped, releasing her and sitting up. "S-Sorry... was I... did I grab you in my sleep?" he asked dumbly, even though it was obvious.

Brielle nodded. "You had another nightmare, didn't you?"

"How would you guess?"

"Because... you were crying in your sleep." As if to make a point, she reached over, resting her palm on his cheek as her thumb wiped away a spare tear. "Must've been pretty twisted, if it could make a tough guy cry."

Feeling her stroke his face caused him to grow warm, his face blushing, and he turned away. "It's... It's alright now, I'm awake. We might as well get up now- the others are up and probably waiting on us..." he draped his legs over the side of the bed, ready to stand and leave.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Brielle moved over to Puggsy and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, rubbing his arm with one hand, while her other one lied over his. It was his nightmares were causing him grief, and she just wanted to make that grief go away, by reminding him of their reality: they were alive, and had each other.

"I know you're scared," she whispered to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "But I'm here, and I always will be."

She could feel him grow warm, and figured he was blushing again, his body tensing. It was obvious he was nervous- he mentioned how his past relationships never went far, and how he wasn't into romance before he met her, and probably wasn't used to this kind of affection. She figured this out because she had felt the same way before... the night he first held her close, and how nervous she was- not just because Vincent was stalking them, but also because she had never been held by anyone like that before.

He actually held her twice that night, the second time after she had gotten shot. Her body was growing cold, she could feel, until he held her in his arms, hearing his voice in the darkness that obscured her vision. Despite she was close to death, she felt peace in his embrace...

The third time he held her was when they came to at the hospital, and he hugged her out of relief... and warm thoughts filled her mind- she felt more alive than before, any fears or pain she had felt vanishing, and she slowly realized that she wanted to share her life with this man, travel with him everywhere, fight alongside him, and be held by him and no one else...

Yet after they left the hospital, he never held her again... and that's when the nightmares had begun, she realized.

Now, she wanted them to stop for good. She held him tighter, and he glanced over at her. Sure enough, he was blushing, and she couldn't help but smile- she thought it was cute.

"I'm not scared," Puggsy said to her. "I just... I really hate these nightmares, alright?"

"I figured that," Brielle scoffed. "But, don't let them get to you... and if they keep coming back, well..." she wrapped her arms around his abdomen, pulling him closer. "I'll just stick around to make sure you wake up to something pleasant,"

He chuckled. "You? Pleasant? I must be dreaming again. ...Hey!"

She had yanked backwards, pulling him onto the mattress, then rolled over and pinned him down. "Better watch it, Pugs. No nightmare you have will ever be worse than the wrath of your girlfriend," she smirked.

He gave her a look, smirking himself as he grabbed her arm, rolling and pinning her down, outweighing her. "Hmm. I think I could handle it,"

Brielle looked up at him, feeling herself blush this time, both of them realizing the position they were in, their faces close. Her heart began to race, as they just stared at each other, and she began to wonder if... if they would...

_No, no way. You're both better than that, _she told herself, biting her lip, cringing a little as she tried to force out any provocative thoughts.

Puggsy quickly turned away, his back facing her. He seemed tense. "I-I think I'll be fine now," he said, awkwardly.

"Yeah. I doubt it," Brielle scoffed, scooting closer to him. "You can't hide anything from me, Pugs. It's alright,"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

She gave a deadpanned look, then reached and stroked his back- he went rigid. "Well, you never froze up every time we were close- and keep in mind, we were stuck in a crate together! And you were fine under the tree earlier... Why are you so on-edge now? Because we're in bed?"

He sat up, facing her, an annoyed look on his face. "Don't be perverted! I just... I'm not much of a hugger, that's all."

She rolled her eyes. "Says the guy who pulled me close back in the park, and wrapped his arms around me back in the hospital." she held his hand. "Joking aside... please stop acting like this. We both know how to take it slow, and you can trust me."

He sighed, still annoyed. "I do... but... I'm not sure I can trust myself. There, I said it- happy?"

She slipped her arm around his waist, making him tense up again as she pulled close. "It's alright. I trust you. We've always got each other's backs, remember? ...And besides, if you do try to pull something, you won't get far after I punch your lights out and castrate you,"

He bit his lip, holding in a laugh. "O-kay, that's more than I wanted to hear..." he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, smiling. "Thanks,"

She smirked. "For the pep-talk, or the vasectomy threat?"

He rolled his eyes, then lied back, and she followed him down, keeping her head rested on his shoulder, both her arms wrapping around his abdomen, while his arms held her close.

She felt so small being in his arms... but it was a good feeling, as always.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_This isn't so bad. _Puggsy thought as he listened to Brielle sigh, once again falling asleep, comfortable in his embrace.

He felt comfortable too, the anxiety leaving him as he held her close. Now that he let everything off his chest, he could relax. Brielle trusted him, cared about him, and even saved his troubled soul from fears... and now, he could rest without worrying about another nightmare, knowing once he woke up she would be near him, and vice-versa.

Coming to peace with his feelings at last, he looked down at her, seeing she fell asleep quick. Sleep was coming back to him as well, though before he drifted off, he planted a kiss on her forehead, resting his head on top of hers as he pulled her as close as possible.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The sun had transformed the werewolves back to human, though Fangs and Kassy were sitting in a romantic embrace of their own at the time, watching the sunrise. Kassy was sitting in front of Fangs, who had his arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on her head, both of them sighing deeply, enjoying the solitude of the morning.

It wasn't until an hour later that they realized how quiet it was, then looked up at the top of the hill, seeing that- once again- their friends had vanished. "Darn it, how do they do that?!" Fangs gasped as they walked up the hill, looking around. "I swear, it's like they're ninjas or something!"

"They probably went back to the hotel. C'mon," Kassy assured him, and they went back to the building, seeing Biff and Kim walking out of a coffee shop. "Have you two seen Pugs and Brie?"

Kim nodded, smiling. "Puggsy said he and Brielle couldn't sleep last night and they took a walk, but she fell back to sleep. He carried her back up to the room almost two hours ago," she replied.

"We'll be checking out in an hour, too." Biff added. "That'll give them enough time to get more rest,"

"We'll head up there now and see if they're not up already," Kassy said. It was a lie, of course- she had a theory, and she wanted to see if she was right.

She and Fangs walked back up to their room, quietly entering. Sure enough, she was right. In the bed was Pugs and Brie, asleep in each other's arms. "Yep, I knew it." she said, smiling, then turned to Fangs. "You owe me a dollar,"

"Ooh, ooh, guess Pugs can't say anything about us cuddling, anymore." Fangs chuckled, wrapping his arm around his lover. "So... what should we do while we wait for them to wake up?"

Kassy smiled at him, wrapping her arm around his waist as they walked towards the bed. "Well, 'When In Rome'..." she replied, and they both lied down, snuggling together themselves.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: *heart explodes* Gah! Fluff overload! *dead*

Kitty: Mew! *zaps me with shock-plates*

Me: I'm alive! ...Well, there's the end of this fluffy three-shot. Hope you guys enjoyed!

Please review, but don't flame, or I will introduce your face to my heel.


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